Broken Fate
by Automail-gHost
Summary: You told me you would be back soon. We were arguing so I didn't even say goodbye. The mission was going to be dangerous, but how could you be hurt? You promised me...You lied.  Rest of the summary inside
1. Along For The Ride

**Authors note: Hello every body! I'm finally updating! And here is the story I promised a while ago, I hope you guys like it. ^.^ **

**Once again, I thought of this while thinking of my puppy who just recently died. In fact, today is the official two month marker since he passed. Yeah, scary isn't it? He died on 9/11. Really, really sad. ANYWAY! I was still breathing last time I checked so I guess I will survive. *sad smile* **

**Any who, I think that I rushed though this and some of the scenes seem awkward to me. So, if you have any tips on how to improve or make the story better I would love to hear them. **

**Summary:**You told me you would be back soon, we were arguing so I didn't even say goodbye, the mission was going to be dangerous, but how could you be hurt?

You promised me.

You lied.

**Warning! Character Death! **

Normally I would just say if you don't like it don't read it however, I think you will like it if you just read it, trust me. ;)

**Disclaimer: OK, Let me just say this now because I won't say it again. The only things I own here are my ORIGINAL poem, and my ORIGINAL plot line. That's it. I don't own the characters, the design of the Watchtower, OR YOUNG JUSTICE! OK, I think I made my point. ^.^**

_Thoughts...  
>_Link up/  
>"Talking."<br>Narration...

**Enjoy! ^.^**

* * *

><p><em>Falling, falling, drowning in nothing,<em>

_Wondering around in the dark, never knowing, always asking,_

_...  
><em>

_There is nothing I understand,_

_Nothing at all,_

_Trying to hold on,_

_Hanging by a strand,_

_...  
><em>

_I don't feel anything,_

_Was there ever a time that I did?_

_Everything is so numb now,_

_I can't be strong,_

_I'm just a kid._

_...  
><em>

_I want to forget,_

_I want to feel,_

_I want this pain to go away,_

_I want it to have never been real._

_...  
><em>

_All I am is spent,_

_All my blood drawn,_

_I don't want to suffer anymore,_

_Would it just be easier to never see the dawn?_

_...  
><em>

_I'm drowning again,_

_In what I don't know,_

_I can't go on anymore,_

_Because without you, I am hollow._

_**Chapter 1 – Along For The Ride**_

It was a cold night in the dark city of Gotham; a cool wind blew far over head and was only broken by immense sky scrapers towering above. The loud buzz of busying peoples below was muffled and lost somewhere along the breeze; it was a giant mess of bight lights in a world that only opened to the night.

On the top of one of the tallest buildings, far above the distant crowd below, two shadowed figures stood, crouching in the darkness. Being able to see everything in the city at one time from one point was an invaluable resource, the only issue being that the wind may dampen the sound and light, but it only hastens the spread of the foul stench of exhaust and other pollutants.

One of the figures took in a deep breath and then sighed slowly.

"Ahhhh, nothing like the smell of poison in the evenings."

A trademark grin spread across the smaller shadow's face revealing bight white teeth that clashed drastically with the black that surrounded him.

Shifting slightly so as to look at the small shadow the larger figure was found by a pool of light generated by a billboard sign a hundred plus feet away.

"No wise cracks, be serious or I won't let you go."

At that the smaller figure jumped slightly and shifted his position so that he was now also in the spotlight.

"Ok ok, I'll shut up; I just wanted to lighten the mood some."

This child like response earned a raised eyebrow from the dark vigilante.

"Robin..."

"Yes?"

"Take out some of that excess energy down there."

The small boy followed his partners pointed finger and saw yet another gang tormenting yet another sad citizen.

Though it would never ever get tiring.

Robin couldn't contain his excitement, as the grin grew across his now lit up face he looked absolutely thrilled. Even though he had been Batman's partner coming up on five years now, it never got any less exciting and it never made him any less happy when his mentor would volunteer him to handle an incident by himself.

Even if it was just some petty thieves.

He would never admit to that though.

"Already there!"

As he yelled his response Robin leapt off the edge but not before shooting a cable to the adjacent building, with precise aim he attached it to the exact place needed so he could soar to his target with ease.

As he descended closer he started to be able to make out what the thugs were saying, they had at this point surrounded the poor man and with each holding either a club, chain, or a base ball bat, it was obvious what they wanted.

It took him mere seconds to fall from his previous position and silently slip into the shadows, being as big as they were stupid the gang didn't even notice the boy's louder than normal landing. But, going unnoticed wouldn't be any fun now would it?

So, instead of remaining on the wall attached by one of his grappling hooks, Robin chose to fall directly onto the trash bin that was avoiding the light just as he was.

There were seven men total, they ranged from big, to bulky, to just plain athletic, there was one that stood out though. With chestnut hair shaped into a sharp crew cut, the man was clearly in charge and by the way that his confidence and narcissism was almost visible as it fell off him in waves, it was easy to see that he thought he was ten feet tall and bullet proof.

The boy wonder landed with an echoed _thump_, causing the leader of the group to jump and immediately spin on the spot and start waving the metal bar in his hand around threateningly.

"Who's there? Show yourself!"

He had been shocked at the noise at first but had recovered quickly and was now thinking about his new "victim".

He may have been able to hide it fast enough for his gang to miss it, but the little bird in the shadows did not.

Just like before a toothy grin spread across his face, but this time, not even his form could be made out of the dark alleyway. So, all the thugs saw was a demented looking smile suddenly appear from out of nowhere.

Then, just as soon as it had appeared, the white smirk vanished, only to be replaced by unnerving cackles bouncing off the walls in every direction.

They were all getting shaky in their boots by this point; one even turned tail and ran wailing like a little girl. After a few seconds they had all moved together back to back, it wasn't quite a circle but they didn't care at the moment.

It took only a few more seconds after that for someone to give in, the smallest one of the group was shaking and sweating profusely, his teeth rattling against each other as his eyes racked up and down the street desperately.

"W-who are you?"

As they all stood waiting for a reply a collective jump was shared between them when one of the bigger men yelled and was dragged into the darkness by an invisible force.

Then, everything happened at once.

One by one the entire gang was taken down, weather it be by them disappearing without a trace or by something coming down on top of them in a blur and knocking them senseless. Finally the only man left standing was the leader, and he was shaking like a leaf.

The man was spinning constantly, feebly trying to defend himself from a foe he could not see.

It was just as he spun once again to try to hit his attacker when his feet were kicked out from underneath him.

Slowly a figure slipped out of the darkness, still cloaked in the night his eyes seemed to glow menacingly.

"I am your worst nightmare."

And with that, he lunged, knocking the pathetic thug out like a light and he fell like a stack of bricks.

A triumphant grin spread across Robin's face as he proceeded to tie all of the gang together in a circle.

"Hah! I've always wanted to say that."

After making sure he had tied the knot securely enough he then turned to face the traumatized pedestrian slouched against the wall a ways down the alley.

"Go on, get outa here."

You didn't need to tell him twice. With a nod of recognition and thanks the small man scooped up his briefcase and papers and spared no time in running away.

With glee still etched into his face Robin turned and stared up expectantly at the building far above him.

_Meanwhile..._

A dark shape was looming over the edge far above, staring down at the scene playing out below him.

With his fingers to his forehead and slowly zooming in and out so he could observe every angle of the fight, the dark knight sighed to himself.

"Cocky, far too cocky."

Batman shook his head back and forth slightly, looking stern as ever, he still couldn't keep the muscles in his mouth from twitching slightly when Robin emerged and served the final blow.

"Adequate."

Retracting his hand from his temple he deactivated the built-in binocular function and without hesitation leaped off the skyscraper. With such practiced and subconsciously ingrained movements, he fell invisibly and silently into the shadow behind his young protégé.

To those who didn't know better he would have appeared to have become one with the darkness and had simply come into being beside them, Robin however, knew better.

Without turning to face the presence now behind him or even bat an eyelid in such a way to even represent any kind of acknowledgment, he began to seemingly have a one sided conversation with himself as he asked the unanswered question.

"So?"

After a brief pause, the Dark Knight emerged from the shadows cloaked by it just as his ward had been not minutes before.

"You may go."

Robin's face lit up with an explosion of happiness.

"OH YES!" He yelled throwing a fast fist pump into the air.

Just as he was about to exclaim once again a raised eyebrow from his mentor silenced him, mutely reminding his partner that they were in fact _not_ on a roof top and they _could_ be seen and heard VERY easily.

His extended arm quickly fell behind his head and his eyes met the ground as he stared at his feet slightly sheepishly.

Without another word just a brief nod between them, Batman streaked off down the alley with Robin trailing close behind.

It was no mere coincidence that they were patrolling this area of the city, being as good as he was, Batman had slowly through the night been bringing them closer to their destination. After all, he had no doubt from the beginning that Robin would be able to go, he had no doubt that his little bird would hold up his side of their bargain.

Within just a few short minutes of his landing, The Dark Night and Robin arrived at a worn down telephone booth. One would think that the object was in such ill repair due to the fact that it was broken, however, the bluish light that was still being generated and slightly pouring into the alleyway that it resided in told a different story.

After streaking right up to it and coming to a sudden stop, Robin couldn't help the scoff that slipped out of his throat. Upon gaining a scowl from his mentor he explained why.

"The last time I went in there I came out only to be ambushed, I just find it funny."

At this he received a look that when translated into their silent language made Robin grin widely once again.

"_What makes you think it will be any different this time?" _

Understanding what he meant he replied in a voice slightly shaking with laughter.

"With knowing who's on the other side, nothing at all"

After a rare but brief smile on Batman's part he slipped into the booth first.

Robin shook his head slightly, his partner had taken to going in first where ever they went since the said "Attack" on their base. Oh well.

And in an instant, the dark and filthy alley swirled away from Robin as he melted into a sea of blue light.

_I__ will__ never__ get__ used __to__ that._

He couldn't help but think as he rematerialized into a familiar setting.

As soon as his eyes adjusted to the new lighting, he found himself mentally reminding himself to tell Bruce later that he was right.

When Batman had stepped through the Zeta beam transporter he was in fact correct.

They had been ambushed.

But instead of said ambushers being elemental robotic siblings, this time, it was by blurs of red and yellow shapes.

The first to greet his ears was the combined excited squeal from two different owners shouting two different names.

"Batman!"

"Rob!"

Apparently, they had been the last to arrive.

Oh dear.

After several agonizing seconds of blurred red-heads whisking around them and streams of inaudible words overpowering them, they finally stopped.

"'-"**[1]**

Robin shot his arms out and with years of practice on his side he snatched the speedster by his shoulders mid sentence and mid bounce.

"KF! Calm down, it's OK. We were just delayed slightly, we're here now alright?"

He spoke slowly as if talking to a small child but it worked.

"Oh OK."

Came his small reply, he had calmed down to now just rocking back and forth on his heals and bouncing slightly on the spot, his enormous grin however stayed the same, and it was infectious.

Not more than 5 seconds past before both boys had that grin on their faces and their excitement was now extremely hard to contain.

They wasted no time in doing a giant high five to commemorate the occasion.

Wally then proceeded to grab his smaller friend, wrap one arm around his head and give him a classic older bother greeting.

"Hey!"

Robin exclaimed indignantly as his raven hair was tousled, if not for the boy's laughter and his ever present smile you would probably be out buying flowers for an imminent funeral.

After maybe 2 seconds Robin had gotten Wally off of him and had pinned his offending arm behind his back securely, through the loud cries of "uncle" and the laughter the scene had generated, the young vigilante finally got a good look at the occupants of the room.

M'gann was standing next to Martian Man-hunter, she had her hands clasped in front of her strapless blue dress and was smiling a beautiful smile as she laughed along with every one else.

Conner couldn't care less about the new arrivals. Not that he didn't care about his teammates but he just at the moment couldn't bear to look away from the gorgeous green skinned girl over to his left.

Artamis was doubled over laughing; mentally memorizing every detail of the expression Wally was making for future black mail.

Green Arrow and Black Canary were off to the side of Artamis with similar smiles on both of their faces.

Aquaman and Kaldur were both standing next to each other farther back into the room, both mirroring the same expression of a small but calm smile.

Robin and Kid Flash were in the middle of the room and serving as entertainment for the time being.

And Flash, well, Berry was now conveniently in the kitchen after zipping away from Batman when he had pulled out his batarangs and some of his blades threateningly.

His entire team was there, they were finally ready, and today, really was "the day".

Robin's grin turned to a contented smile and without warning he dropped his friend's arm.

Having been fighting in vain against his restraints, Wally had put a lot of his strength into it. So, when he was suddenly freed, he stumbled, fell, and landed exactly on his face.

After pealing himself off the floor he turned to face Robin.

"Ha, ha, yes very funny. Can we move on now please?"

"Yeah, sure KF."

He smiled widely at his friend, being who he was it didn't take long for him to be forgiven.

Robin then spun on the spot until he had caught everyone's eyes. He especially stared at the mentors, one by one, his team soon followed suit. He turned one last time and stopped in front of Batman, turning serious very quickly, he asked the thing they were all thinking.

"Are we going or what?"

With a curt nod to the members of the Justice League present, he walked back over to the Zeta beams.

"Follow me."

Wasting no time the Young Justice filed in and one after the other, they vanished into an ocean of light as they were whisked off into outer space.

After the feminine computerized voice had stopped calling off names there was a moment of silence and realization then the large room was filled with gasps of amazement and words of awe.

"Wow..." **[Robin]**

"Oh, Oh my gosh." **[M****'****gann]**

"Breathtaking..." [Kaldur]

"...OHMYGODICAN'TBELIEVEIT!" **[Guess ****who?]**

"Zip it Kid Mouth! I'm trying to enjoy the moment here!" **[I****'****ll ****give**** you**** one**** guess.]**

"Amazing." **[Conner?]**

Their reactions were met with more smiles and grins from their partners behind them.

"Welcome to the Watchtower."

The deep voice rang out across the room originating from the man standing in front of them. He wore no cowl or glasses like the other people in the room (excluding Black Canary), and he bore an unmistakable symbol of an "S" on his chest.

Superman's eyes swept the room, ignoring the looks Conner was giving him and bluntly avoiding his son's gaze.

He cleared his throat.

"So, shall we?"

Without another word he turned and began to leave the opening room with their group following not too far behind.

The rest of the tour passed slowly but it was far from boring, the whole thing was spectacular.

The room they had entered when they first arrived was in a disk shape or maybe just a slightly flat dome. To their left and right all along the walls or where the walls should be were plates of super thick glass. So that the instant they entered they got an up close and personal view of the moon. Its cold blue surface was enchanting when the sun's light reflected off of it. It gave it the appearance of what a white shirt looks like under a fluorescent light.

Finally, the tour ended in what appeared to be the missions room, it was heavily littered with computer screens and monitors.

Superman turned to face the group once again, he was just about to announce that they had seen everything when the largest of the monitors came to life effectively shutting him up.

"Green Lantern to Justice League! Is anyone there?"

The image was scratchy at best but the link remained constant.

Throughout the entire tour Batman had remained silent, only speaking when he firmly stated that no one was going into his lab despite Flash and Wally's protests. He now completely ignoring Superman marched to the front of the room.

"This is Batman, what's your situation?"

"Batman, good. I'm calling for a full league response! I'm amazed that I was able to get through, all communications down here have been cut off."

"What is happening?" At this moment Superman stepped forward.

"I honestly don't know, this enemy... He is impervious to our abilities. I am here with Hawk man, Captain Marvel, and Wonder Woman, he just deflects us! It's almost like he knows what we are going to do before we do it and how to defeat us."

Everyone's eyes were already huge but at that last statement they were began preparing themselves to leave.

"Keep him occupied, we're on our way."

Green Lantern nodded and his face vanished from the screen being replaced by static and computer "snow".

With that Batman spun on his heals and started quickly marching towards the Zeta beams.

"Justice League, Star City, now." **[2]**

They all wasted no time in leaving but before they could get any father than the door they were stopped by their partners' voices.

"What about us? What do we do?"

They all looked to their respective partner and told them in their own way that "no you can't come."

Frustrated, but they accepted it.

That is, all but one.

Robin ran up to Batman and began speaking with him in hushed tones.

"Why can't we come? Why can't I come? I can help you!"

"Because you are not needed, we can handle this by ourselves."

"Uh, it didn't sound like it."

Before he could reply Robin cut him off once again.

"What's the point of us being partners if you don't let me _actually_ fight with you?"

"I don't need your help."

"So, what? I would just get in your way? You've trained me for this Batman! I can handle this!"

"No. And that is final. I do not need your help. You are not ready to fight with this team. Go back home and stay there."

Silence met his words until Robin finally opened his mouth and muttered in a hurt and furious tone.

"I thought you trusted me. I thought you cared about me. I guess I was wrong."

Batman visibly recoiled at that. Beyond his cowl, and beyond his deepening scowl, pain flickered across his eyes for an instant. No one else would have seen it, no one else would have looked for it. But after saying those words with the intention to hurt, Robin did see it, and he instantly regretted it.

Batman stood up strait and walked back over to where the rest of the Justice League was waiting, after a few moments of conferring they all made their way to the Zeta Beam with their partners following shortly behind.

Just after arriving at Mount Justice, the League left once again to Star City. All but one.

Before leaving The Dark Knight turned and stared down at his partner who was trying when ever he could to not look at him and ignore him the best he could.

Pretending to be oblivious to this fact Batman spoke in a strait tone.

"I'll be back soon; don't do anything rash, alright?"

The last words were emphasized as he gave one of his infamous bat-glares to his red and black clad ward.

"Fine."

That was the only response he got, even without him turning around the dark knight could feel the anger and frustration emanating off of the small boy. Batman nodded solemnly then spun on the spot and started stalking away from the disgruntled and pouting teen.

"_Recognized, Batman, 02"_

Robin looked up at the Zeta beam, staring after his foster father.

He hated it when they fought, weather it be an argument or when they were just at odds with one another, he always tried to go out of his way afterwards to apologize or in any way, make it right. He would try even if it wasn't his fault. This time however, it was.

He had regretted saying those things but his anger had overpowered the want to take it back. Now however, he was left to just sit in the grave he had dug for himself.

He felt terrible.

He was going to take it back. He WAS! With a new light in his eyes he turned and started walking to his room all the while developing a plan of action. **[3]**

Later on that evening, when Batman got back he would apologize. Take everything back. Then, when they went home for the night he would have called Alfred in advance and asked him to make Bruce's favorite dinner. Then, after they ate and Bruce had told him all about the mission he would ask if Bruce would play a game of basketball with him. He had been wanting to for a while but they had always been to busy.

Yeah, that would be great. Tonight's going to turn out fine. I can't wait to apologize.

At that thought he smiled to himself.

_Come back soon... Dad._

But he had no idea, how could he? How could he have known what was going to happen? How could he have known that he couldn't be more wrong about what was going to happen next.

* * *

><p><strong>Soooooo, you like? Sorry if it was a bit rushed, I was typing like a maniac and only realized after wards that I went a little fast on some things. <strong>

**TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! This is a story that I personally love and it is going to get so much better, you will see. I know this because I already have the main body of the third chapter written! Yeah I know, my inspiration is very strange. =.=**

**ANYWAY! Review, review, review! They will make me write faster, write better, and make me extremely happy! ^-^**

**So, Info...**

**[1] Grrrrr, I had to put this here because the stupid site would not except what I wanted to write and just kept making it vanish. So, this is what it is supposed to say up there. Just all jumbled together into one sentence. "Oh my gosh why on earth did you take so long we weren't even the last ones here come on come on let's get goin-"  
><strong>

**No pause. At all. Ha!**

**P.S Could anyone please pm me and tell me how to fix this? I absolutely HATE it when it does this so if there is anyway to fix it and or avoid it some help would be sooooo appreciated. T.T  
><strong>

**[2] For any of you who are wondering how Batman knew Green Lantern was in Star City even though he never told him. Well, in my version, when ever a call comes into the Watchtower at the corner of the screen it tells you where the signal is originating from. So there you go. ^.^**

**[3] At this point your probably wondering what happened to the rest of the team right? Well, as soon as they arrived at the Mt. Justice and when all of their mentors left, they vacated as well, being disappointed and upset they all just went off to do their own thing in silence. Shocking isn't it? I didn't put this in because I couldn't find a way to end the chapter how I wanted to with this information stuck in there. So, here it is. :)**

**Another thing... Did you like my interpretation of what the Watchtower might look like? Also, sorry for not elaborating on the tour, I found that it was taking to long and I was rushing and I wanted to end the chapter sometime this century. **

**Whoa. I feel like Wally. I'm twitching, talking/typing really fast, and speeding through all of this... Oh well. **

**IT'S FINALLY DONE! WOOOHOOO! I have been working on this chapter for forever so I'm glad I finally completed it! Now I can move on to the more exciting chappies. Mwahahaha! ;)**

**So, to conclude... If you liked this chapter than please go check out my other ones. And if you like Transformers than I just wrote a poem that you might like as well. **

**Alrighty then. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I will try to update as soon as I can! **

**I hope you have a great day!**

**~Automail-gHost :D**


	2. As I Hold My Breath

**Authors note: Hi People! ^-^  
><strong>**I'm FINALLY updating! I apologize for taking so long! Life got in the way BIG time. XP**

**So yeah, again this story is inspired by my puppy that just recently died named Zim.**

_**Conveniently changing topic! **_

**Anyway, I really liked how this chapter turned out, it ended up being better than I had originally pictured! ^.^**

**I almost cried when I wrote this so prepare yourselves... You can't say I didn't warn you...**

**And for the record... I wrote this at 1:00am in the morning so if you notice any mistakes, that would be why. **

**Also! I want to give a HUGE thank you to the three people that reviewed! They made me so happy! I must say that they were the main reason I wrote this next chapter at all! **

_**AmaraRae**_**~ I glad you liked it! ^-^ I wrote a pretty long chapter this time so I hope you like it as much!**

_**ARL15**_**~ I am so happy you are enjoying it! I'm hoping you won't be disappointed with my update. :)**

_**AsterouslyWhelmed~ **__**Sniff... sniff**_** *Gives HUGE bear hug* Thank you so much for that! You SO made my week! I really appreciate it, what you said made me so extremely happy I can't even tell you. XD**

**Don't die! *Gives new chapter plus homemade cookie***

**Because of your review, I tried my VERY hardest to make the best chapter I possibly could, so I really hope you aren't disappointed! **

**Thank you all once again for the amazing reviews, they all helped so much in inspiring me to write this new chappie.**

**Well, I think that's everything... I hope you enjoy it! **

_Thoughts...  
>_Link up/  
>"Talking."<br>Narration...

**Carry On! ^.^**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 2 – As I Hold My Breath <strong>_

"_Recognized, Batman, 02"_

Continuing the brisk pace he had entered with, he strode forward from the swirl of blue deep in thought.

He was still reeling from what had happened at the Watchtower, he couldn't even pretend that those words hadn't hurt.

That's what happens with family though.

Those who you care about the most have the power to hurt you the worst.

Bruce let out a long sigh; he had to put aside those feelings for now because at the moment, he was Batman, The Dark Knight of Gotham! There was no place for feelings in the cold vigilante's heart, no place for that kind of weakness.

Once again the unfeeling wall, Batman quickly caught up with the rest of The League.

Using their own methods, each member made their way to an abandoned warehouse district downtown.

Even though beforehand they had received the exact location of where GL was, once they arrived in Star City however, there wasn't a real need for it.

Miles away, the brawl could be seen and heard loud and clear. As bursts of energy surged up into the darkening sky, finding their comrades was as easy as just simply following the trail of destruction towards what was _left_ of the large warehouse.

Being the slowest of the league without his usual transportation, Batman arrived at the battlefield last.

Everything was happening at once; as battle cries echoed ominously around him it took Bruce a second to assess the situation.

The league members jumped and dodged here or there, when a few slowed down to take a millisecond to breathe, Batman got a good look at how injured and weary they all were. Clothes torn, blood shining off of uniforms, and heavy breathing mixed with occasional exclamations of pain were enough to send him into overdrive. The last thing he noticed was the first thing he had tried to seek out.

The source of all this chaos.

Standing in the middle of the destruction was a figure, it was tall, bulky, and every time it was attacked, it only pushed back harder.

The first thing that flashed across Batman's mind was the robot Amazo, but as soon as the thought materialized it was replaced by multiple others.

In that one instant, he began to think of the Doomsday incident and when Superman was replaced by a powerful evil clone, but once again, at another look at the enemy, the thought was put aside.

Whoever or whatever _IT _was, it had an almost perfect resemblance to The Man of Steel.

The differences being that instead of bright ocean blue eyes, It's were black, a glowing unearthly and frightening black.

It's skin was reflecting any light that remained around It, whether it be from the attacks of the Justice League or the growing fires burning in the rubble surrounding It.

The robotic creature once again blocked a bone shattering attack from Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter like It was deflecting a small breeze, it was then that It turned and It's sickly gaze fell directly on Batman.

Finally, his second of assessment was over.

Wasting no time he leapt into the mess of it, baring his "fangs" so to speak as he threw a dozen or more batarangs at the _thing_ that exploded on contact.

After the red and black smoke had dissipated from around where Batman's weapons had hit, gasps of surprise and a few colorful words were spit when it became visible that the robot was completely unharmed. It had not dodged the attack in any way; in fact, it looked as if It hadn't even twitched from the impact.

A sadistic grin cracked the creature's face and before anyone could blink, It was on the attack.

All of the sudden battle cries merged together in a giant wall of sound as the JL once again began their assault.

Green lantern was the first to land a hit, with his ring forming green energy into an enormous fist his pounded repeatedly on the robot.

Just as the rest of their attacks were about to reach It, the robot cackled a demented laugh and lunged, knocking Green Lantern, Superman, and Wonder Woman off their feet and slamming them hard into the unforgiving ground.

Before they even had a second to recover, the machine grabbed them by either their legs, arms, or waists and threw them with superhuman force back into the rest of the league.

Desperation shook him as Oliver shot an explosive and neutralizing arrow at the Creature from where he was pinned under some fallen debris.

The robot hissed loudly and was momentarily distracted; Flash took this opportunity to zip up to Green Arrow and with unperceivable movements began to free him.

As the creature started to recover Flash knew he couldn't free Oliver in time. So, he called desperately to the nearest league member.

"Wonder Woman! HELP!"

In an instant she abandoned her vain attempts at damaging the creature and ran as fast as she possibly could to Flash's side.

As soon as he caught her gaze the creature had already begun sauntering towards the now helpless Oliver and the already wounded Berry.

"Free Green Arrow! I'll distract it!"

With that, Flash disappeared suddenly from GA's side and was replaced instantly by Wonder Woman in the effort of saving Oliver.

After once again knocking all who were attacking It back 20 feet or more, the creature eyes flashed with a surge of power and it duplicated Berry's speed.

"Ahhh!"

Flash's cry of sudden pain caught the attention of all members of the League as it rang out loud and clear.

"Flash!"

Now everyone ran at the robot, desperately flinging attacks at it left and right, all of which he blocked with one hand.

The other now held a struggling Berry as he fought to breathe.

As the single thought, _"I'm gonna die!"_ repeated itself over and over again in his head, Flash's movements slowly became weaker and weaker until finally, his eyes started to droop, and with one last thought of _"I'm dead"_ his body went limp.

Through the uproar of noise a single sound stood out.

With a huge snarl Batman lunged himself at the creature, catching it momentarily off guard. Upon losing It's balance with the attack, the robot dropped Berry and he fell hard in a crumpled heap of red and yellow.

Flash gasped loudly the moment he hit the ground, laying where he fell; he took deep grateful gulps of wonderful air before he could even mutter anything along the lines of a 'thank you'.

Even so, whatever he may or may not have chocked out were lost on his savior as the creature had only been stunned for so long and now it and Batman were circling each other. Each throwing the occasional attack.

Though he may be only human, Batman was indeed holding his own. Because One. He knew how to fight and beat super powered villains, and Two. Little did the team know at the time, but this "Robot" was draining them of their super human abilities with each encounter, slowly making them exceedingly weaker.

Meanwhile, with one final heave, Diana was able to pull Green Arrow out from under the grotesquely large pile of rubble. It was only then that Wonder Woman, as well as some other coming to heroes realized what was happening.

Batman was fighting the creature, and he wasn't winning.

As another barrage of hits met Bruce, he fell weakly to his knees. As the wind was completely knocked out of him, another punch hit him in the ribs.

With sickening crack, Batman was thrown backwards landing in a very unnatural position.

"Batman!"

The Dark Knight barely heard the cry of his name, at the moment, it seemed like it was just him, and the Robot in the entire world.

The creature let out a delighted shriek as it ran at Bruce, knocking once again easily back anyone who came too close.

Batman was just heaving himself to his knees when the creature suddenly appeared beside him.

This time however, the beating didn't stop so quickly.

Within just a few seconds, It had hit, punched, kicked, cut, and beat Batman so many times blood was being flung everywhere.

It was all happening so fast; the mere sight of it was enough to paralyze the Justice League with shock.

Then, the unthinkable happened.

All of their eyes widened with horror at the sight before them.

It had gone from not just Batman being beaten but being hurt really badly to a scene from their nightmares.

_Plop_

_Plop_

_Plop_

_Splash_

The sickening sounds echoed loudly and painfully, like nails being dragged down a chalk board, they tore at the ears of all those who heard them.

There it was, like a sick painting, like something that can't be real, everything was stained red.

The creature had a triumphant look on its face, a face that was dripping demonically with its opponent's blood.

Batman coughed raggedly, only to gasp and choke as his body reflexively tried to take in air.

His body quivered, uncontrollably shaking as desperation gripped him.

He couldn't move.

He... Couldn't breathe...

Unable to support himself any longer Bruce's body went limp, falling against the large metal beam that impaled him.

_Plop_

Another large glob of maroon liquid sloshed onto the ground, adding to the blood bath already surrounding him.

With a sadistic smile the robot dropped Bruce's limp bloody form on the ground carelessly.

Finally, their bodies caught up with their minds and the almost tangible silence was shattered by screams of total and absolute hatred and venom.

"NOOOO!"

"MONSTER!"

"I GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"RAAAAAAARRRRRHHHHH!"

...

It was strange.

As unimaginable pain surges through Bruce's body, he becomes numb.

He had hit the ground with a dull thud, once again sending rockets of pain through his entire form. Even though no one had heard it, Batman had unknowingly let out a cry of agony.

As he wearily watched the scene around him he tried over and over again to clear his vision but to no avail. His head just kept spinning, all he could do was stare blindly having given up trying to make sense of the blurry shapes before him.

He was oblivious to everything around him.

So, he didn't see Manhunter go into a destructive trance as he levitated off the ground.

He didn't see the entirety of the Justice League as they fought with more intensity and more in complete unison than ever before.

He didn't see Superman fight with absolutely no mercy as he slowly beat the life out of the monster.

He didn't see It's eyes start to dim.

He didn't see It fall in a crumpled heap metal as the last of It's power was sucked away.

He didn't see his team crowd around him.

He never saw their tears.

_Voices. There are voices._

To him, the cries of his name, and the anguished shouts seemed to be far away. Distorted like he was underwater.

Yes.

He _was_ underwater.

He was drowning.

"Batman! Batman can you hear me? Say something Bruce!" Wonder Woman knelt beside him; she was drenched in the red liquid that surrounded them.

As tears endlessly fell from her eyes she tried desperately to keep her voice strait as she spoke around the lump in her throat.

"B-bruc-ce? Pl-e-ease. Sta-y wi-th m-e no-w! B-RU-CE!"

She shook his shoulders, trying in vain to get him to look at her, but the only response she got was him continuing to stare off blankly into the space behind her.

"Is there n-othing w-e can d-o?"

It was Flash who spoke up this time; he wasn't even trying to stop the flow of wet streaming down his face. He turned and stared anxiously over at Superman.

It was then that Clark's eyes ceased glowing as he stopped scanning Batman's body.

"The...The damage is too severe... I... There's nothing that can be done."

A look of horror was shared between the members of the fallen Justice League.

Just by glancing in Superman's eyes you knew that there was no hope, the once optimistic glow was now replaced by a cold, broken look.

Black Canary let out a small sob and she hid her face in Oliver's chest, he himself was also wearing a grave expression.

Green Lantern's head hung low facing the ground, his teeth grit in the attempt to not exclaim out loud.

Captain Marvel's huge shoulders shook greatly as he sobbed quietly to himself.

Wonder Woman sobbed freely into her blood soaked hands as she continued to kneel by Bruce.

Hawkman clenched his fists until bits of red started to seep from in between his fingers. He had been knocked out cold by the time the rest of the Justice League had arrived.

He was now beating himself up because he should have tried harder! He should have done better! If he had than maybe... Maybe he could have prevented this.

They were all thinking it.

They all shared one thought more than any other.

_We failed._

Bruce convulsed heavily as he heaved more blood and blanketed the ground around him with the thick crimson liquid.

Now just shaking uncontrollably his mind became even foggier than it was before.

He could only comprehend the pain at this point, the distorted voices and sharp ringing had drowned out everything else.

As his lungs once again drove him to cough and gasp for air he could only think of one thing...

_Robin._

Instead of his own life flashing before his eyes, he saw Robin's.

He saw that fateful day at the circus when Richard's parents were murdered.

He saw the expression on his face when he fist laid eyes on Wayne manor.

He remembered how proud he was when Dick finally was strong enough to become Robin.

He remembered the unexplainable happiness he had felt when Robin had slipped up and called him 'daddy'.

Bruce saw every memory he had about him.

Suddenly, the flashes of memory abruptly stopped and began to repeat the events of earlier that day.

"_I thought you trusted me. I thought you cared about me. I guess I was wrong."_

No...

"_I'll be back soon; don't do anything rash, alright?"_

"_Fine." _

Bruce's body convulsed and shuddered violently, his already weakened pounding heart began to slow.

All those who stood/knelt around him who had super hearing gasped at the sudden deterioration of their friend.

_BumpBubump_

_BumpBubump_

_Bump bump_

_Bump_

_Bump_

_Bu-mp_

"Bru-ce? Stay w-ith m-e-e! Bru-ce!" Diana cried pathetically. He couldn't die, he just couldn't! He was the freaking BATMAN! He CANNOT DIE!

_B-u-m-p_

Powered by its last beat, one thought flickered across Bruce's mind for an instant before vanishing.

_Robin... I'm sorry._

With that, Bruce fell limp against Diana's arms.

The resounding noise was now silent.

Because Batman, The Dark Knight of Gotham, was dead.

* * *

><p><em><strong>...<strong>_

_**I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry...**_

***Inhale, exhale***

**...**

**Review? **

**Oh pewees! *gives melt your heart puppy dog eyes***

**The more people that review the faster I'll update! **

**Also... Um... About the cliffy... Sorry?**

***Dodges rotten fruit* **

**Akkk! **

**I'll update soon I promise! **

**Bye! **

***Makes like Wally and runs away***

**~Automail-gHost XD**


	3. It's Only A Lie

**Authors Note: Ummm…. Hi?**

***Dodges rotten fruit***

**Oh my gosh! I am SO sorry for not updating! It's been SOOO long! DX**

**It has just been one thing after another! I was so caught up in the mess called school that I couldn't write AT ALL! And then, when the new season of Young Justice came out… Well… My inspiration ran away…..**

**IS ANYONE ELSE AS DESTURBED AS I AM? IT'S SO WRONG! **

***Ahem* Anyway, I have decided to shun the 2nd season and just write as if it never came out, ok?**

**But on a different note... I got almost 20 reviews? Wow! I'm SO happy you guys are enjoying it! XD**

**Thank you to all of you who have waited so patiently for me to update, it means so much. :) I wrote this for all of you who reviewed, favorited, or just wanted the next chapter, I hope it's not disappointing. :D**

**Finally! I wrote this mostly while going on VERY little sleep so if you don't like something please let me know and I will try to fix it! I want it to be the best it can be so constructive criticism is always welcome.**

**One last thing… JULY? HOW DID IT HAPPEN? Time goes by WAY too fast for my taste… T^T**

**Anyhow! Here it is! I hope you like it and please review!**

_Thoughts...  
>_Link up/  
>"Talking."<br>Narration...

**Enjoy! ^.^**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 3 – It's Only A Lie<strong>_

Happy Harbor...

Mount Justice...

8:59 PM|

Silence hung over Mount Justice like a dark cloud, only broken by the sound of the lone clock's unending count of time.

_Tick_

_Tock_

_Tick_

_Tock_

A heavy sigh traveled around the room.

It had been over six hours since their mentors had gone off on that "special mission" and nothing had really changed from the moment they came back from the watch tower.

Wally had long since given up bugging his team members, and with Robin's incessant training in the gym he had collapsed on the couch after running around the base a dizzying number of times.

The rest of the teens were all preoccupied with their own thoughts, in other words, a five way staring contest.

Just when they were beginning to think they should just end their misery and go to bed, the transporter pad came to life and a feminine voice began listing off the coming arrivals.

The present Young Justice members were on their feet in an instant, in all but an outright run they bounded into the main hall with mostly excited or curious faces just as the last member stepped through the light.

Wally was the first to slam on the brakes in front of their mentors and had million mile per hour words streaming out of his mouth.

"Youhavetotelluseverything!Whathappen-"

The end of his sentence died in his throat when he finally noticed the looks on the heroes faces.

He had seen plenty of things in his short life, he supposed that came with the territory of being a hero; but even with all of his experience, the yellow clad speedster never could have prepared for what her saw.

He could deal with the injuries; sure it scared him half to death when his Uncle came home with a torn uniform and whole lot of them but this time it wasn't the blood that scared him.

With one look you could tell, the Justice League was broken.

In the time it took for the rest of his team to come skidding to a halt beside him his lighting fast brain had already began desperately looking for what had gone so wrong.

The smiles that had been dancing upon Artamis and M'gann's faces slipped and were replaced by worried confusion. Aqualad's normally calm expression turned into a serious one as the creases from too many worries furrowed again.

There was a moment of silence, like the tension was something physical that hung in the air before them.

Wally did another head count just like he had been doing for what seemed like an eternity. The number was clear and yet his mind just couldn't seem to wrap around it let alone voice the question it raised.

Artamis took a hesitant step forward and as thought it was akin to a thousand glasses being broken the next words out of her mouth made the entire League visibly flinch.

"Where-Where's Batman?"

At this they all looked directly at the mentors before them, their uneasy and fearful eyes said more than words ever could.

It was only now that they also noticed that behind the blood, dirt, and sweat, Wonder Woman bore unmistakable tear tracks leading down her face. Her shoulders were shaking and the trails became invisible as new liquid spilled out.

Flash moved to put an arm around her shoulder and she gratefully accepted it.

As the realization began to sink into the young heroes minds Superman stepped forward.

His expression was as cold as the stones that were carved after him but his eyes betrayed him. Their optimistic and warm glow was gone, as if it had been sucked away, leaving only darkness in its wake.

He drew in a deep breath in the effort to try and steady his voice, and spoke the most devastating words they were sure they had ever heard.

"Batman…Batman is dead."

Wally felt his mouth drop open; there was a gasp behind him that sounded like Artamis and a strangled cry/sob that was not doubt M'gann, Aqualad and Superboy stood stock still, both faces mirroring their shock.

"Wha-What?"

The yellow clad speedster on a normal day would have been mortified at how small and weak he sounded but right now he didn't care. Batman was dead.

Suddenly an almost growl came from behind him in the form of viscously spat words.

"How did it happen?"

Ever since he was rescued from Cadmus Superboy's life had been created anew with the Young Justice and dare he say the Justice League as well being his family.

He had never experienced loss, and with that inexperience came the problem that he had no idea how to handle what he was feeling.

He was now only focusing on his rage and how he wanted to destroy the monster that had taken his family.

"A very powerful robot." A calm voice said.

Hawkman now moved to the front of the group of shell shocked Superheroes.

"We couldn't beat it in time...It…It drained any and all of our powers making it seem invincible, Batman he…He fought it while the rest of us were down..We couldn't stop it."

As the last words left his mouth he hung his head in grief and fell deathly silent.

Horror filled the eyes of the young team, all of which were standing completely still and unmoving except for one.

Miss Martian took a shaky step towards he Uncle before her mouth seemed to move of it's own accord and formed five words.

"He's really dead isn't he?"

At barely above a whisper it normally would have been impossible to hear but now only a few faint sobs lingered in the room.

It was then that Wally solemnly voiced the question that he was sure they mere all thinking.

"Who's going to tell Robin?"

At that moment you might have been able to hear a cricket outside with the lack of noise, even the tears seemed to freeze for a moment.

Before anyone else could volunteer Kaldur stood slightly taller and stronger before he called out his decision.

"I'll do it. I am the team leader, and that is not only when it's convenient. It should be me that has to bear this burden."

Just as Kid Flash was about to argue the young Atlantian held up a hand to silence him.

"I know you're his best friend Wally, that's why it's all the better that I tell him. It needs to come from me."

With that any other argument he might have had died. Kaldur acknowledged this with a dip of his head before he spun on his heal to face the rest of the team. He met each of their eyes and in an instant the faces grew determined because, without the use of their mind link they had instinctually knew what the others were thinking.

They were going to go together; they were a team after all.

A solemn look was shared between them and without another word, they turned from the place where their mentors stood and began towards the Gym.

What was only a few minutes seemed like an eternity for the grieving teens. Each entangled in their own thoughts and mourning the silence was so complete you could barely hear them breathe.

Much too soon they arrived at the entrance for the training room; and as they stood there for just a second more, images couldn't help but flood their minds of all the things that were fun and they look forward to here.

That was not the case this time.

Almost simultaneously they hardened any obvious faces and dried any tears. They were heroes after all, they had to be strong.

Aqualad inhaled deeply before activating the doors' opening mechanism and revealing their destination.

Weights, bars, hoops, poles, and metal rings hanging from the ceiling peppered the paper white room. Ever since Mount Justice was converted into Young Justice's HQ, many rooms had been dedicated towards training and exorcise making this particular one's main theme be "acrobatics training".

A dozen or so metal poles stood firmly planted in the floor; on these said metal rods was a small figure leaping across them gracefully landing in either a handstand or on one sole muscular arm.

He then propelled himself into the air; with perfect timing and precision he latched onto the trapeze bar hanging above him.

Gaining some force before acknowledging the new entrants.

"Hey guys!"

As the words were leaving his mouth he preformed his signature quadruple flip and Robin, the boy wonder, landed almost silently in front of the group with a toothy grin on his face.

Still in his costume, the young raven haired boy wiped a weary hand over his forehead before speaking again.

"What's up?"

The innocence in his voice made them all flinch in response. Never one to miss a thing, the smile that he had been sporting slipped slightly and he began taking every detail of the team before him.

Only now did he notice the grave expressions and ominous atmosphere.

All but Kaldur and Superboy wouldn't meet his eyes, that alone raised enough flags as is and set him on edge, but the observation that topped the cake was red eyes.

Hanging behind the others, a certain green Martian girl was staring at the ground with puffy eyes and almost invisible marks running down her face. Marks, he knew all too well.

As his confusion became more and more evident, his face still hadn't caught up to his thoughts and a shadow of a smile still remained.

Worried eyes locked onto their leader, hoping for an explanation and dreading the response.

Aqualad stared back into eyes concealed by a domino cowl, fighting the strong urge to just walk away as he tried his best to steady himself.

His lips parted but for a moment no sound emerged; finally he swallowed the lump in his throat and in voice that he did not recognize as his own spoke.

Disjointed and guilt ridden, it was easy to see in his words that the young Atlantian somehow was blaming himself for the information he conveyed.

"Robin... I'm, I'm so sorry. The mission…It… Batman was killed."

Dick froze.

Like a computer whose power had been shut off, his mind was blank for a moment before thoughts began sluggishly crawling back into existence.

…

_Batman_... Who is that?

_Bruce_... Oh Bruce...Who is he?

_Father_... My father...Daddy...

My father... He...He is...

_Dead_.

At first all he said was a whisper; he didn't even realize that anything had come out of his mouth at all. His voice escalated and he started blindly yelling, trying to make it not be true.

"No... No! No!"

"You're LYING!"

"NO!"

The last word came out as a scream, his desperate hands dug into his hair pulling at it as if with the intention of ripping it all out.

Then it came.

The second wave of realization hit, like a giant spear it sliced into his chest bleeding hot fire into his soul as it surged through his veins, pouring from the hole where his heart should be.

In that moment he fell to his knees, no longer able to keep his weight supported on violently shaking legs. He couldn't think, he couldn't feel, he couldn't register the warmth streaming endlessly down his cheeks, he couldn't move.

"_No, no, this can't be happening... NO!"_

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The yell was more than painful, it was more than devastated, it was more hurt than being burned alive; it was the cry of death. If you feel pain when you die, it was like this.

The entire mountain gasped and flinched away from the sound, fearing that their own hearts would become encased in the terrible noise that no human should be able to make. No child should ever feel this way.

The bleeding bird had thrown his head back and let out the anguished cry with everything he possibly had in him, screaming at the top of his lungs but he could not release the pressure building fast in his small agony racked body.

M'gann in an instant caught the convulsing and sobbing robin bird as he fell crashing to the ground, wrapping herself around his entire figure, gripping as much of him as possible and pulling him tighter into her arms.

She tried to take his pain, to help him in some way.

With her tears now mixing with his she sobbed even harder while trying to hold him tight, tight enough to protect him from the pain that was his truth.

All this time she had been moving her mouth but was unable to make a sound more audible than a wail, she finally gasped out hard strained words in between sobs.

"Ro-o-o-bin, Ium-m-m-m so-o-s-o-o-o S-O-O-O-R-R-YYYYY! Ahhhhahaahaaaa! RO-OBIN!"

They were all on the floor now; M'gann had Robin in her lap as she rocked back and forth. Wally had his arms wrapped around his brother's shoulders or what ever he could reach of them; he was leaning on the Martian while sobbing himself and trying to say something comforting to his best friend but all that came out were jumbled nonsense slurred by heavy tears.

Aqualad was sitting on the opposite side of Wally, facing the shaking figure M'gann clung to. He cursed himself inwardly and had to clamp his teeth shut so as to keep himself from yelling, as unfamiliar warmth raced down his bowed face towards the small baby bird.

He had his face scrunched up in obvious self hate and was pounding the floor as hard as he could, not caring if he started bleeding.

Artamis was kneeling next to Kaldur; she too had her eyes shut tight. She wished that she could somehow keep the traitors from overflowing but no matter how hard she tried for once in her life couldn't control her tears; she couldn't stop herself from giving into the overwhelming hurt of her precious friend.

The Boy of Steel, THE superman's clone, a Kryptonian, Superboy, Someone who has experienced pain and rejection, anger and happiness, however, he is also someone who has never seen let alone felt excruciating pain, at least not like this.

He pounded the floor hard, his friend was suffering in a way that no one could possibly understand, and there was nothing he can do!

He, for the first time in his short life since his friend no, his little brother saved him from Cadmus shed tears and not just one or two, they fell endlessly, one after the other.

He collapsed on his knees at the same time everyone did and he couldn't do a single thing, he couldn't say a single word.

Every time a new wave would hit the group would inch closer together, coming closer to their little brother's stabbing wails as the small body was racked with anguished sobs.

* * *

><p>In the large living room, Green Lantern was the only one moving as his fingers drummed endlessly on his crossed arms.<p>

After Kaldur and the team had left they had all fallen apart, Superman leaned heavily on the wall for support, Flash outright started bawling, and Dianna, she didn't even bother using her legs anymore as she collapsed into Black Canary's arms.

It had been several hours since they had come back, and several hours since that blood curdling scream.

Superman, Black Canary, Green Arrow, and Flash all sprang to their feet and were propelling themselves towards the source when Green Lantern stopped them.

"Leave him be."

Black Canary was the first to spin on her heels, fury and disbelief etched into her features as she opened her mouth to argue.

Beating around the bush wasn't his style so not waiting for whatever retort was to come Green Lantern cut her off with his blunt words.

"What good would you all barreling in there do? Only his team can comfort him now."

She knew he was right, she just couldn't except the fact that they were helpless. Defeated, her eyes fell to the floor and the other three backed off as well.

Now, they were all in random positions around the room. Weather sitting in a chair or on the couch, leaning against a wall or doing some pointless research, practically no one had moved for the last four hours.

It was when loud chimes of the clock signaling the passing of another hour that Martian Manhunter spoke for the first time since they had come back.

"We have not heard anything from the children for a while, should we go check on them?"

The question seemed to be directed at the superheroes with apprentices so it was only they who made their way down the dark hallways after an unspoken agreement.

The large doors opened with a slight hiss and they couldn't help their hearts swell with pride at the sight before them.

In the middle of the fast amount of punching bags, weights, and other such things was a pile of teen.

Not having been disturbed by the door opening, they all continued to sleep soundly.

Robin lay at the center: curled tightly in on himself his head rested in M'gann's lap as her arms wrapped around his chest holding him close.

Wally sat at her right, one arm hung loosely over the ebony haired boy's shoulder while he himself had fallen asleep on Megan's shoulder.

Artamis was leaning against the Martian's left side. She had one hand on the small boy's head while the other even in sleep gripped her bow like a life line.

Kaldur was sitting cross legged off to the archer's; his head was bowed slightly and his hands lay limply in his lap.

Conner, looking the most innocent as the mentors had ever seen him had his knees up to his chest and his face hidden behind them.

Small smiles appeared on the observers faces as they thought about the powerful bond that the children in front of them shared.

Robin had quite literally cried himself to sleep, and by refusing to leave his side the rest had soon collapsed onto each other in no time.

Martian Man Hunter moved to the front; a hand rose to his temple as his eyes closed in concentration.

Practically like an alarm clock the signal that had been sent woke them all instantly. Normally they would have leapt into battle stances but something held them firmly in place.

/It's all right children, it is only us. Be still. You wouldn't want to wake him. /

He gestured to the sleeping bird with his head and the last few hours came rushing back to them at ramming speed, taking all weariness with it.

With a single graceful stride John entered the room and lifted his hand purposefully toward Robin, enveloping him in an invisible bubble of energy taking him from the ground.

After he was safe from being disturbed the older heroes joined their protégé's in silent unison, moving to either wrap them in a comforting hug or just a place hand on their shoulders.

Upon arriving at Robin's room they had to struggle for a moment to get through the security before John entered the bubble following dutifully behind him.

Black Canary came in after; Mother hen instincts taking over she pulled the dark blanket from the foot of the bed to cover his small form.

Even in the barely lit room she could still see the dark shadows beneath the boy's eyes, Dinah found herself brushing black bangs from his face affectionately.

She bent over a placed a gentle kiss on his forehead before slowly trekking back out to the hall where the rest of the group was waiting.

She had barely closed the door when a small voice finally broke the silence.

"Will he be alright?"

Dinah turned to face the green girl, she paused before whispering sadly.

"I don't know. All we can do is let him sleep for now. At least then he can get away from everything for a little while."

They slowly began to disperse after that, all heading to their own rooms to try themselves to sink into the peaceful realm called sleep.

None of them knew however, that that would not be the case for Robin. His small form tossed and turned and no one saw the fresh tears that spilled down his face.

After all, no matter what he did, he would never be able to escape the reality that was now his, not even for a moment.

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><p><strong>Soooooo? What'cha think? Was it good enough? Or was it pathetic? I'm really worried about it so PLEASE review because they really do float my "inspirational boat" so to speak. XD<strong>

**Anyway! I am going to be updating my other stories on the 4th so you can look forward to that as well as a 4th of July centered Young Justice story! (Lot's of Bat fluff..Hehehe ;P)**

**Good day to you all!**

**-Automail-gHost**


	4. Numbing Agony

**It's alive...IT'S ALIVE! **

**Hi there. Miss me? **

**Now, you are probably wondering, WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED? I would be too. You see, I really did mean it when I said I was gonna update but a horrible thing happened. Life. It struck like lightning and swallowed me whole! Before I knew it waaay too much time had passed! Just when I was free from high school and life's drama long enough to start writing again, my awful luck, true to form, reared its ugly head. My computer died. Waaah! *Tears sloshing everywhere***

**So my lack of updating this last year has not been on purpose! I have been without a computer. I couldn't write anything and I most definitely couldn't post anything. I felt like a limb had been loped off. T^T**

**But things have changed! I have a new computer (FINALLY) and...**

"**Now I'm back, and I will be staying this time!" Virtual cookies to whoever gets this WB animated movie reference. ;D**

***Hint* Think evil, animated, psycho singing...It'll come to you... ;D **

**Seriously though, I AM back in my groove! And since this was the Young Justice Fic that was chosen for me to continue first, you can look forward to many updates in the near future! T-T**

**On another note...**

**34 reviews?! WOW! I had no idea that my writing was so enjoyable! Your reviews were so touching; I cannot thank you all enough for your kind words, I can only hope that you aren't disappointed with this new chapter and have not given up on me after this long wait. **

**Anyway, I want this to be the best it can be so if you see an error, bring it to my attention! I have a VERY hard time seeing my own mistakes for some reason; I think its cause I see what it's supposed to be in my head and that version blends in with the actual story. Xb**

**SO! Please read on and drop me a line! They inspire me more than words can describe you know! XD**

**Read on~!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Numbing Agony<br>**_

A dark cloud had descended over Mt. Justice. It's cold shadow choking out all light and seemingly sucking away all happiness.

The last week had passed in a dull haze; for everyone, denial seemed like the best option. None of them could quite wrap their minds around what had happened. None could grasp the depth of their loss. It wasn't until the funeral that the finality of it all settled upon them.

Inside was much the same; the normally bright and vibrant lights were dimmed, leaving only an unsettling emptiness in their wake.

There was some life in one side of the mountain. The Young Justice team lumbered about, idly working on pointless tasks to keep themselves distracted.

On the other side of the mountain however, all was quiet. For in the farthest corner of the darkest room, was a small child. He was curled into a tight ball; his back pressed up against the wall behind him and his head tucked into his knees. Unruly ebony hair obscured his eyes from view.

Robin hadn't left his room for days.

They had tried everything to get him out of there, but nothing had worked. Even the Justice League's efforts were fruitless.

Every day they brought food to his door, and every day it remained untouched.

His friends all took turns trying to talk to Robin; for no matter how useless it seemed, they refused to give up on him.

Eventually, it got to the point where M'gann could no longer even get near his room. If she got too close, the feelings grief, loss, and utter devastation would overwhelm her. Drowning in emotions that were not her own, she would collapse in tears.

So it fell to Kaldur, Conner, Artemis, and Wally to try to help Robin.

It was currently Kaldur's turn.

And as they all waited, they found themselves slightly hopeful. Maybe this time he would get through to their little brother. Maybe this time Robin would hear them.

But when their team leader returned, they knew without words or their mind link, that he had failed.

A heavy sigh traveled about the room. Megan sadly went back to cooking; her eyes puffy and watering with unshed tears. She wanted so badly to help her friend, but how he was now, she couldn't even be in the same room with him. She had never before felt so helpless.

Artemis swore under her breath before she returned to her book; angrily tearing through the pages with far more force than necessary.

Wally did nothing. He briefly glanced in Aqualad's direction before falling still once more.

Superboy however, shot out of his chair, flinging it back in the process. He made a sort of growling noise before practically running out of the room. M'gann made to follow him but was stopped by a gentle hand.

She looked to its owner and found herself met with deep blue eyes.

"But Kaldur, I-" Before she could get anymore out, she was pulled into a hug. Confused as she was about the gesture, she appreciated it none the less and gratefully returned it.

"Let him go, he needs some time alone. You can't help him right now." He spoke softly.

At those words she found her arms that were wrapped around the Atlantian's torso tighten their grip involuntarily as pain seemed to pound through her entire being.

Without meaning to, the tears that she had been fighting spilled freely down her cheeks and a hand of grief began to choke her.

"Wha-what c-can I d-do t-then?" She sobbed out pathetically.

Kaldur knew she wasn't just talking about Conner. He smiled understandingly at her. "Right now, all you can do is support them from the sidelines until they are ready to let you comfort them."

M'gann smiled back. She knew he was right. She quickly thanked him before she flew back to the kitchen, vigorously wiping her face as she did so. When she landed, her eyes were bright red and the lump in her throat still hadn't gone away, even so, she resumed her cooking with renewed enthusiasm.

She couldn't help Robin or Conner by moping about. So she promised to herself that she would try her best to stay positive, not only for herself but for the rest of her team.

Noticing the change in attitude, Wally looked up from the discolored spot on the carpet he had been scrutinizing. Even when she was faking it, Megan still seemed to be able to produce an aura of light around her.

A small smile began to pull at his lips. But the moment he remembered his upcoming task, it vanished so fast it might not have ever been there.

He stood up sluggishly. Slowly stretching his long limbs as his muscles cried out from disuse. It was when he shook his head in an attempt to clear it that he felt a pair of eyes burning a hole in the back of his skull.

He turned and was met unsurprisingly with Kaldur. It seemed as though the Atlantian wished to tell him something; his jaw worked back and forth but no words escaped his lips. Finally he just nodded his head and began trekking down the halls to his quarters.

Wally envied him.

The path towards his friend's room seemed more and more daunting each time he walked it. Perhaps it was his dread of what was coming that caused these feelings. It wasn't that he didn't want to try and help his friend; it was that every time he went to that door, his worry doubled.

He was scared for Robin. He didn't know how much longer he could survive without food. And no matter how much or how long he beseeched to that unfeeling door, he never received a response.

He felt tears prick his eyes.

Wally absently scrubbed a weary hand over his face. Feeling more useless than before, he arrived at his destination.

What he saw though made him almost cry out with delight.

There was food missing from the plate. Not much, but it was something. Filled with newfound hope, Wally eagerly got into a comfortable position on the floor before he began to speak.

"Rob? You awake Buddy?"

This was met with silence. Undeterred, he continued on.

"Common. Talk to me. I won't even ask you to leave your nice, dark, room. Although... I did just get some new video games that are to die for~"

Silence again.

"Note to self, find irresistible video games." Wally said under his breath, trying to bring some humor back into the situation as he always did.

He took a moment to gather his thoughts and try to think of something that would get Robin to talk to him.

He could make him mad.

But that wouldn't end well. Besides the speedster wanting to keep all his limbs, this whole thing was to make his friend feel _better_, not upset _and _angry!

Next approach.

His expression hardened; a new and unfamiliar serious tone overtook his voice when he spoke again.

"I know your upset, but you can't stay in here forever. Ba-" He hesitated for a moment, not quite knowing how saying this forbidden word would turn out. "Batman...Batman wouldn't want that. He wouldn't want you to stay in here forever and waste away. Think about that."

Deciding to leave it there, Wally stood up slowly. As he trudged back down the corridor, he felt his small spark of hope sizzle out pathetically.

* * *

><p>A shuffle outside his door told him someone was there. A light thump told him whoever it was had just sat down.<p>

When the person started to speak, Robin noticed it wasn't whoever had just tried to talk to him a few minutes ago.

_It's Wally._ The intellectual part of his brain informed him. But, he couldn't find it in him to care. Whatever his friend was saying was lost on Dick, he just wasn't listening.

He was numb.

This entire week he had been flipping back and forth between two states; crying his eyes out and screaming, to silent and dead to the world.

Right now he was the latter.

But either way, the pain haunted his every second. He would sob and yell until he had nothing left in him, he would then curl up into a tight ball, rocking back and forth as wave after wave of agony passed over him.

It was a vicious cycle, and he had made it his own.

* * *

><p><em><strong>3 Days Later<strong>_

The time for the funeral had come, and it was the largest in all of Gotham history. The streets were packed for miles in every direction. It seemed as though everyone in the entire world was squeezed into those streets; men, women, and children, were packed in like sardines and not caring in the slightest.

They all wanted to say goodbye to Gotham's greatest hero and Dark Knight.

It was in the exact middle of Gotham where Batman was to buried. A monument stood erected there. Carved out of black marble, a large bat symbol towered over them all.

As though held back by an invisible line, the people stood close to the burial site, but none went any farther.

Standing like sentinels, all of the Young Justice team and most of the Justice League guarded their friend's final resting place. Everyone was present except for six.

When the time came, an ocean of heads turned.

A bright light shined and six heroes appeared in the middle of the square. Upon their backs, was a sleek black casket.

Loud clicks and bright lights erupted from the crowd as countless cameras went off.

They were ignored.

Martian Man Hunter, Superman, Zatara, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and Flash slowly marched towards the grave.

When they finally reached it, they hesitated; all six men reluctant to let their friend go.

After gently placing the casket in its stone grave, they rejoined the others as everyone began to pay their respects to Batman.

The grave was not deep, the coffin could still be seen over its containment. But it remained closed. They did not have an open casket funeral for a very good reason.

There wasn't a body in there.

Shortly after they had returned from that fateful mission, they woefully recounted that the robot they defeated, self-destructed. Blinded by their grief, they had been taken completely by surprise. They had only just been able to get out when the entire building and surrounding area was destroyed.

There had been nothing left but rubble.

Not wanting anyone to get any ideas with this information, they kept it secret. Only the Young Justice team and the Justice League knew the truth.

After a moment of silence, Superman stepped up and addressed all the people who had come. He began to talk about Batman's heroism. Describing to all those who were there what a great and selfless man he was.

And at some other time, Robin really would have appreciated the words. But at the moment, he was just focusing on staying upright. His eyes had never left the casket; now they stared fixed upon its shiny surface, his legs suddenly feeling weak.

Everything in him rebelled against the unfairness of it all. The cruel hand he had been dealt. It took all he had to not just fall to his knees and cry. But he couldn't do that. Not here. He had to be strong. He couldn't have the people of Gotham thinking their last remaining hero was weak.

So he couldn't think about how alone he now was, or how this is not the first time someone he cares about was murdered...

Before he could stop it, an image flashed across his eyes. He saw three coffins before him, and he knew who they belonged to.

He inhaled sharply in shock.

This did not go unnoticed. Especially by Wally who had been watching his every move like a hawk.

...

When Black Canary had told Robin about the funeral, they had all thought it was a lost cause. So they were speechless when he emerged not five minutes later.

He had looked awful. Even beneath his sunglasses, you could see the almost black shadows under his eyes. It was obvious he hadn't been sleeping. He was unsteady on his feet and his hair and clothes were unkempt.

In a voice scratchy from underuse, he had asked quietly when the funeral was. Resisting the strong urge to hug the life out of the boy, Dinah calmly told him that it was later that day.

Without another word, he retreated back into his room. Thinking the battle had been lost, they had returned to the living area of the mountain.

It was when they were just about to leave that the sound of quickly approaching footsteps made them freeze.

"Robin." They all said collectively in surprise.

Anyone who didn't know him would think that he looked perfectly fine; but they knew better. His hair may be clean and his uniform may be wrinkle free, but he wasn't smiling.

Almost for as long as any of them had known him, he had always had a smile on his face. The only time he didn't was when he was angry or frustrated. But even that would be better than this.

His face was emotionless. His mouth was set into a cold, thin line.

It was a mask and they knew it.

They didn't need to see his eyes to know that he was barely holding himself together.

* * *

><p>Since then, Wally had observed his every reaction, trying to read what was going on behind Robin's black cowl.<p>

Although his subtle turn to his friend seemed innocent enough to the crowd, it caught almost all the superheroes' present attention.

"Rob?" He breathed into the smaller boy's ear.

But he was deaf to it all. Everything seemed to be getting farther and farther away; all the gentle voices whispering to him were garbled and muted. His breath came to him in rapid gasps and he was over come by crippling dizziness. He was on the verge of hyperventilating when two firm grips fell upon both of his shoulders.

On his left was Superboy and on his right, Kid Flash. Their touch became the only thing that grounded him, the only thing that kept him from spiraling into the depths of despair. He almost didn't notice when a smaller more delicate hand came to rest hesitantly upon his back.

As soon as her green fingers brushed across him, liquid fire burned through M'gann and licked at her senses. She clenched her teeth together hard to avoid crying out. Regardless of the pain, her hand did not move; the agony pulsing through her being only serving to solidify her resolve.

She would not budge, not when her only little brother needed her.

Not a second had passed before someone appeared beside her. The Martian didn't need to look to know it was Artemis. The Archer's own hand grasped hers and squeezed it slightly. Megan let a small smile of appreciation cross her lips.

Finally, Kaldur came up in front, his much larger frame hiding Robin almost completely from view. He had taken this action after noticing some reporters eying the smaller hero like hyenas lusting after a piece of meat.

The Atlantian simultaneously shielded him from their gaze while also trying to support his obviously distraught teammate.

Under their touch, Robin's breathing started to slow down. After a while, it evened out completely.

But rather than feeling relief over this development, they only felt sadness. Even though Robin was no longer on the verge of having a total mental and emotional breakdown, he was now in a state that could only be described as comatose.

Although he was still standing and retained his façade of calm, inside he wasn't really there. It had all been too much for him to bear. Unable to process the reality of his worst nightmare, Robin's mind had just shut down.

The rest of the day passed by in a slow blur afterwards.

The bright blue of the sky countered drastically with the dark atmosphere throughout the city as Batman's grave was closed for the first and final time.

The teens didn't stay long after that. Giving a quick nod to their mentors indicating their plan, they shepherded the catatonic Robin away just as the first people began trekking towards Batman's monument. The Young Justice team encircled Robin as they walked, all standing as a wall between him and the world.

Only a second later, they came to an abrupt stop. Knowing they were upon the designated exit location, M'gann sent a telepathic message to the Watch Tower.

As blue light started to surround them, Artemis glanced over her shoulder. The last thing she saw before she was sucked away into a sea of ethereal light, was the first person to reach Batman's grave.

He was an older man. His black hair almost completely overrun by white and his face creased with years of worry. A pang of recognition shot through her as he delicately placed a single red rose upon the black marble.

He was the Police Commissioner of Gotham.

* * *

><p>Once they had been brought up to the Watch Tower, they had wasted no time in getting back to Mt. Justice. They had hoped that maybe bringing Robin "Home" would help.<p>

But they were proven wrong the moment the stepped out of the Zeta tubes and into the cave. Robin had raised his bowed head, taken note of where they were, and quietly excused himself. He had only taken a few steps into the hallway before his careful control crumbled.

As he leaned on the corridor's wall for support with his left hand, Robin's right clamped down over his mouth in an attempt to stifle his cries.

His team just watched on in silence. For as much as they wanted to chase after him, they knew it would do no good. They knew that only one thing could help their little brother now, and it wasn't something they could provide...

They couldn't bring Batman back.

* * *

><p><strong>WOW! I rewrote this so many times! I just couldn't get the feel of it right so it ended up becoming very difficult to perfect... And it turned out much longer than I intended... <strong>

**OH WELL! XD**

**It was just so hard to capture and accurately describe how poor Rob is feeling! I am trying my best to do these characters justice, so please, if you think I should have done something differently, DO NOT HESITATE to let me know! **

**Also, for the record, no, Kaldur does NOT have a thing for M'gann. Kaldur is just the team leader and he really cares about his friends. So he hugged her for two reasons:**

**One: She needed it.**

**Two: He had just come from trying to talk to Robin. He had, in his mind, "failed" him. So when he saw that M'gann was feeling the same way, he was able to sympathize with her and comfort her.**

**So, yeah. I didn't want anyone to misunderstand why he did what he did. :)**

**On another note; Gordon got a cameo! Yeah, I really like his character. He at times seems to be the only one in all of Gotham who always believes in Batman. So I thought it was appropriate that he be the first one to say goodbye. T0T **

***Sniffles loudly* **

**ANYWAY! Back to more important matters. I am currently debating on whether Roy should be in this or not. If you want to see him, let me know! If enough people request Green Arrow's wayward protégé, I just might put him in here!**** ;) **

**One last thing... If you thought this fic was drama filled before now, when you read the next chapter you're gonna fall out of your seat. **

**Are you ready for a spoiler?**

**...**

***Drum Roll***

**Next time on Broken Fate...**

**ROBIN'S PAST IS REVIELED! *gasp***

**The team is about to find out that Robin didn't just loose a mentor...**

**He lost his **_**father**_**.**

**...**

**I hope to see you all next chapter. :)**

**-Automail-gHost**


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